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Album Review – Hyperia / Silhouettes of Horror (2022)

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This unrelenting Melodic Thrash Metal squad from Canada is back with a fast and furious new album, exploring parapsychology, night terror hallucinations and inhumane government experiments.

Formerly of Calgary, Alberta, and now residing in Vancouver, British Columbia, the unrelenting Canadian Melodic Thrash Metal squad Hyperia is unleashing upon humanity a fast, melodic and heavy-hitting thrasher entitled Silhouettes of Horror, the follow-up to their 2020 critically acclaimed album Insanitorium. Mixed by Colin Ryley at Singularity Sound Studios, mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios, and displaying a beyond classic artwork by Belarusian illustrator Andrei Bouzikov, Silhouettes of Horror explores parapsychology, night terror hallucinations and inhumane government experiments, all embraced by the thrashing music blasted by Marlee Ryley on vocals, Colin Ryley and David Kupisz on the guitars, Scott DeGruyter on bass and session musician Gord Alexander on drums. “The album is mostly about government experiments, greed, and conspiracies, but also about sleep disorders because I have suffered from them since childhood and because of that it was an easy theme to write about,” commented Marlee about the band’s newborn beast.

A cryptic voice ignites the frantic opening track Hypnagogia, with Colin and David slashing their stringed axes accompanied by the thrashing beats by Gord, all of course spiced up by the demented roars by Marlee, and putting the pedal to the metal the band fires the insane Thrash Metal feast Intoxication Therapy, living up to the legacy of bands the likes of Anthrax and Toxic Holocaust with Marlee stealing the spotlight with her she-wolf screams. They keep hammering their instruments mercilessly in Experiment 77, another melodic and sick Thrash Metal aria where Colin is on fire with his guitar solos, whereas a more rhythmic start led by the rumbling bass by Scott and the fierce beats by Gord kick off the mid-tempo, darkened tune Severed, with Marlee’s growling being supported by infernal backing vocals. Following such obscure song, the band continues to invest into a NWOBHM-inspired sonority in Prisoner Of The Mind, with the guitar duel by Colin and David sounding awesome throughout the entire song.

Marlee and her henchmen keep blasting their fusion of insanity, rage and metal music in Terror Serum, a solid display of their Melodic Thrash Metal where Gord does an excellent job dictating the song’s pace with his classic beats, and get ready for a thrashing ride together with Hyperia in the form of Whitecoat, the perfect remedy for a boring day. Put differently, simply slam into the pit to the visceral screams by Marlee and be a happier person, whereas the title-track Silhouettes of Horror brings to our avid ears another round of their devilish riffs supported by the metallic bass by Scott, sounding very melodic and thrilling until the very last second. Operation Midnight is a flawless hybrid of classic Heavy Metal with Bay Area Thrash where Marlee sounds truly possessed on vocals while Colin and David deliver sheer aggression and harmony from their guitars, followed by the last original song from the album, Pleonexia, offering at the same time a more obscure side of Hyperia and their usual sonic devastation, flowing violently to the demonic beats by Gord until the very end. Finally, we’re treated to their cover version for ABBA’s classic Gimme Gimme Gimme (check out the original version HERE), and the band did a fantastic job adding their touch of evil to the music while keeping the song’s core essence intact.

If you believe you have what it takes to face the 50 minutes of the insane thrashing extravaganza crafted by Hyperia in Silhouettes of Horror, you can enjoy the album in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course in order to provide those Canadian metallers  with your utmost support you can purchase the album from their own BandCamp page or from Apple Music. In addition, don’t forget to give the band a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, showing your love for such talented band from the Great White North. Do you believe in government experiments and conspiracy theories? Are you a diehard fan of first-class Thrash Metal? If your answer is yes to one or both of these questions, then Hyperia have exactly what’s needed to put a huge smile on your face while you raise your horns to the demented music found in their excellent new album, leaving us all eager for more of their wicked creations in the nearby future.

Best moments of the album: Intoxication Therapy, Experiment 77, Whitecoat and Operation Midnight.

Worst moments of the album: Severed.

Released in 2022 Independent

Track listing
1. Hypnagogia 4:17
2. Intoxication Therapy 4:38
3. Experiment 77 4:28
4. Severed 4:20
5. Prisoner Of The Mind 4:18
6. Terror Serum 4:51
7. Whitecoat 3:31
8. Silhouettes of Horror 3:54
9. Operation Midnight 4:22
10. Pleonexia 6:59
11. Gimme Gimme Gimme (ABBA cover) 4:29

Band members
Marlee Ryley – vocals
Colin Ryley – lead guitar, backing vocals
David Kupisz – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Scott DeGruyter – bass, backing vocals

Guest musician
Gord Alexander – drums (session)

Album Review – Hyperia / Insanitorium (2020)

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Are you crazy enough to enter the “insanitorium” together with one of the most promising names of the current Canadian Thrash Metal scene?

Are you crazy enough to enter the Insanitorium, the debut full-length opus by Canadian Melodic Thrash Metal unity Hyperia? If your answer is yes, you better get ready for over 40 minutes of wailing and harsh vocals, melodic guitars, intricate bass lines and hard hitting drums, ranging from traditional Thrash Metal to Power Metal and even Death Metal, highly inspired by a myriad of bands such as Havok, Overkill, Running Wild, Hypocrisy and Gojira,  among others, with the album’s lyrical themes being based around the concept of being stuck in an insane asylum for committing evil crimes and having no way out. Put differently, after listening to Insanitorium, you’ll quickly understand why the band comprised of Marlee Ryley on vocals, Colin Ryley and David Kupisz on the guitars, Scott DeGruyter on bass and Jordan Maguire on drums was one of the nominees for “Metal Recording of the Year” at the 2019 YYC Music Awards and “Music Video of the Year” at the 2019 Stinger Awards, hosted by the CSIF – The Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers.

Recorded and mixed by Colin Ryley himself at Singularity Sound Studios in Calgary, Canada, mastered by Mika Jussila (Finntroll, Children of Bodom, Ensiferum) at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland, and featuring a beyond classic cover art by Belarusian illustrator Andrei Bouzikov (Municipal Waste, Skeletonwitch, Toxic Holocaust), Insanitorium perfectly represents what Hyperia are all about, proving that despite the fact the band was only formed less than two years ago, more specifically in September 2018, they can already be considered one of the most interesting and hardworking names of the Canadian underground scene, thrashing venues and taking the metal community by storm since their inception. Put differently, who doesn’t enjoy some old school shredding accompanied by soaring female vocals, right?

In the opening track Mad Trance, a movie-inspired intro morphs into ass-kicking Thrash Metal with a Melodic Death Metal twist, with both Colin and David showing what they got with their incendiary riffs before Marlee comes crushing with both her clean vocals and she-wolf gnarls, and a demented scream by Marlee sets fire to the also berserk Starved By Guilt, where the whole band puts the pedal to the metal spearheaded by Jordan’s frantic and vile beats. In other words, it’s simply perfect for slamming into the circle pit like a true metalmaniac, whereas in Asylum it’s time to break our necks headbanging, blending the ferocity of Exodus with the melody of Arch Enemy and showcasing an amazing sync between Colin and David, providing all Marlee needs to vociferate the song’s psychological words (“My dead lover under a cover / Screaming, trapped in monomania / They cringed as I unhinged / I’m drowning, set me free / Straight jacket because of a hatchet / Bewitched, lost in compulsion / I’m banished, mind vanished / Fixated, please help me!”).

Then eerie noises are quickly joined by the band’s strident guitars in Unleash The Pigs, evolving into another sonic onslaught where Jordan brutally smashes his drums supported by the rumbling bass by Scott, while Marlee once again delivers a superb performance on vocals; and fasten your seat belts as Hyperia flirt with old school Death Metal in the high-octane tune Nullified,  a very detailed and dense creation that lives up to the legacy of extreme music, sounding as frantic, aggressive and demented as it can be, and with Colin being unstoppable with his riffs and solos. And bringing elements from the music by Metallica, Megadeth and other fast and furious thrashing masters we have Fish Creek Frenzy, where Marlee’s wicked vocals are beautifully complemented by Colin’s and David’s flammable riffs, not to mention all the energy flowing from the song’s spot-on backing vocals.

Dystopia is another awesome composition bursting with rage, madness and heaviness, all embraced by the insurgent lyrics blasted by Marlee in a mix of Black and Thrash Metal styles (“War, bloodshed, slavery, hypocrisy / Everywhere, everyday it’s all you see / Take a look at yourself and your plight / It won’t end unless we STAND UP AND FIGHT”). Well, do you think they still have energy for more violence and bloodshed after so many thrashing hymns in a roll? Their answer comes in the form of the metallic hurricane entitled The Scratches on the Wall, with the sick growling by Marlee being flawlessly boosted by the bestial shredding by the band’s guitarists, as well as Jordan’s nonstop beats and fills, while pure, unrelenting riffage is the main ingredient in Contagion, sounding at the same time very old school, inspired by 80’s Heavy Metal, but also bringing a fresh, modern vibe thanks to the polished production of the album. Lastly, how about more undisputed, deranged Thrash Metal to close the album? That’s what Hyperia have to offer us all as infernal riffs and fast and rhythmic drums permeate the air in Evil Insanity, and when it’s over you’ll feel absolutely disoriented just the way we love it in extreme music.

The nonstop metal thrashing madness blasted by Hyperia in Insanitorium can be fully appreciated on YouTube and on Spotify, but if I were you I would definitely show my true support to such promising name of the current Canadian metal scene by purchasing their sensational debut album from their own BandCamp page, as well as from the Dead Pulse webstore or from Apple Music. Also, don’t forget to follow them on Facebook for news, tour dates and all other things Hyperia, because you know, you have to be absolutely insane not to support those Canadian metallers, and even more “insane” to slam into the circle pit to their melodic, furious and utterly entertaining creations.

Best moments of the album: Starved By Guilt, Fish Creek Frenzy, Dystopia and The Scratches on the Wall.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Sliptrick Records

Track listing
1. Mad Trance 4:36
2. Starved By Guilt 3:55
3. Asylum 4:08
4. Unleash The Pigs 4:56
5. Nullified 4:18
6. Fish Creek Frenzy 3:41
7. Dystopia 4:14
8. The Scratches on the Wall 3:57
9. Contagion 4:09
10. Evil Insanity 4:01

Band members
Marlee Ryley – vocals
Colin Ryley – lead guitar, backing vocals
David Kupisz – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Scott DeGruyter – bass, backing vocals
Jordan Maguire – drums